Anyone who has ever had to buy a new set of tires has probably noticed a series of numbers and letters embedded on the sidewall of your tires. Many drivers may not know that this long cryptic set of numbers and letters actually means something. If you know what these tire codes mean it could wind up saving you a lot of time at the tire store trying to select which tire is best for your vehicle.
The Gillman Honda team in San Benito knows everything about tires and wants to give the drivers in the Brownsville and Harlingen areas the best knowledge on tire codes so they feel prepared when shopping for tires.
First Letter
The first letter in the code either stands for Passenger tire (P), Temporary tire (T), Light Truck (LT) or Commercial (C). Some tires will not include this first letter.
First Number
The first number in the code is the tire’s width in millimeters.
Number After the Slash
This is the Aspect Ratio which is the percentage of the height of the tire from the bead to the top of the tread.
Second Letter
This letter describes the tire’s construction. The letter R stands for Radial tire. This is the most common type of tire. Other high performance tires have an additional number following the R which indicates maximum speed.
Wheel Diameter
The wheel diameter is located after the second letter and indicates the diameter, in inches, of the rim the tire is able to fit around. Rim sizes range anywhere from 13-22 inches, sometimes even larger.
Performance Index
The performance index is after the wheel diameter specifies tire speed and load ratings.
Gillman Honda San Benito Proudly serves the Brownsville and Harlingen areas.